Yes, he really is a prince among men: Robert Sepulveda Jr., star of a new dating-reality show, is a little dodgy with the facts on a nonprofit he says he runs. Or ran? It’s hard to untangle.
First, a little backstory: MTV arranged for a group of conventionally attractive gay clones to spend a few weeks performing a courtship ritual, with the results to be broadcast on Logo.
Related: WATCH: “Gay Bachelor” Robert Sepulveda Jr. Addresses Escorting Past: “I Was Young”
This idea is itself bizarre, as pointed out years ago by a Funny or Die video that predicted all the men would simply hook up with each other. The Funny or Die video features a cameo by Lance Bass, who’s also the host of the actual dating show, so who even knows what’s satire anymore.
Anyway, the gay bachelor (on the real show) is a guy named Robert Sepúlveda, who seems to have been an escort at some point. There was a lot of mock outrage about this news, which is really no big deal — oh, a sexy gay guy used his body to his advantage? Stop the presses.
But then Robert started trying to minimize his sex worker past, which is a bit of a bummer and kind of sex-negative. Whatever, it’s his life, and if he doesn’t want to talk about it, fine.
Related: Should “Finding Prince Charming” Acknowledge Robert Sepúlveda Jr.’s Escorting Past?
The pivot, though, raises some eyebrows. In trying to change the subject, he brought up his work with an Atlanta nonprofit that tried to get some rainbow crosswalks painted. They were slightly successful — some temporary crosswalks went in, then disappeared — so Robert’s group gave the money to a handful of other nonprofits that were able to actually make progress toward their mission statements.
The rainbow crosswalks nonprofit now seems to be shuttered, or at least isn’t doing any work anymore.
But: “I have a nonprofit,” he says in a promo video. So does he or doesn’t he? Well, he might’ve had one when they shot the video, since the nonprofit seems to have shut down shortly before filming started. The timeline’s muddy.
Either way, given the choice between talking about running a successful escort business or a failed nonprofit, we’d probably opt for the escort business.
Shadeaux
… and the plot thickens!
TinoTurner
Fuck you Queerty! Its NOT normal for a gay guy to sell their ass to make money. “Mock Outrage?” Are you all so cynical and jaded that you don’t think this is a big deal?
jheryn
And the insulting of your readers continues Queerty.
“mock outrage” Seriously?
Here are two more, two word phrases for you: “dwindling readership” and “less advertisers”.
ChrisK
God. Girls get your panties unbunched.
robho3
@TinoTurner: you really should view some of this guys porn videos on xtube…. This guy seems really sketchy and it has nothing to you with him being an escort.
Jack Meoff
And once again a Queerty article calling out their readers for daring to call someone out on their antisocial behaviours. Well done guys.
CaliKyle
Why not a legit gay version of The Bachelor? Why does it have to be the sketchy slut version? Oh, right, because all homos are skeevy former sex pros with dubious careers. There would never be the hetero equivalent of scumbag Sepulveda on The Bachelor(ette) so why not a gay bachelor who isnt the face of Grindr, is a reg working stiff or white collar professional and wouldnt consider hiring a rent boy let alone be one.
Low Country Boy
What do you expect? This is exactly what you get when you have vapid, undereducated, but “beautiful people,” on reality shows. It’s simple: Do not watch these types of shows and do not report on them. This story is not newsworthy.
DCguy
What Queerty is doing is trying to normalize their own experiences. Rather than accepting the very real commentary if “hey, most people wouldn’t consider somebody who is sleeping with other people every night their prince charming” the author keeps trying to make Sara Palin-esque quips.
The guy isn’t a successful designer, has very recent postings according to many in escorts sites and videos keep getting uploaded to his xtube ad sites, and he isn’t an activist.
Yeah, real charmer there.
ted72
@robho3: provide URL please
Scribe38
Being gay can be hard for some people. I’ve been lucky, parents who are accepting, college, an ok job. I know a lot of gay guys not that lucky. I know gays who have hooked up for cash when they were younger, because they didn’t have many other choices. I just won’t judge people for doing what they have to do to survive. It doesn’t make one a bad person to want to eat. I can think of a lot worst things than dating for cash.
Jack Meoff
@Scribe38: I hear you and to be honest it is not the fact that he is a hooker that I have a problem with but rather that he is being held up as an example of what gay men represent and that the writer of this article and related articles tries to make this behaviour sound like it occurs everywhere in the gay community. People do what they need to do but most gay men don’t indulge in these activities so why report on it as if it is common place.
steve_michaels
I’m not a huge ‘comment’ type person, but to the person that wrote this particular article — KUDOS!! So, absolutely refreshing to see someone say, ‘he was an escort – big deal — he doesn’t want to talk about it – so what…’ In the grand scheme of things, who really cares one way or the other, we’ll still watch (shush! you know you will or you wouldn’t take the time to comment on any stories related to this new show). More importantly, 1) if everyone stopped worrying about what everyone else was doing that has zero effect on them, the world would be a much more unified country (I’m not trying to start a debate – yes there is some truly bad shit that goes on that needs discussed). and 2) when more and more people stop trying to deny their past and simply brush it off as ‘yeah, so what?’ then all the hype surrounding said ‘offense’ will die with the brush off. ‘Oh no you caught me smoking pot, so?’ ‘Oh no you saw me naked, and?’ ‘Oh no you got a pic of me hanging out with someone, your point?’ Hey celebs — just own up to whatever and call it a day! Let’s all just move on 🙂
DCguy
@steve_michaels:
Except you left.out the part where he is presented as a successful business owner and an activist which are both lies.
dre23222
@steve_michaels: I understand your point but I care less about his past as well. What bothers me is why lie about or continue to lie about things you don’t have or doing. Just own up to it especially if you putting yourself out there for everyone to see. Also he talks about being an escort is his past and he feels ashamed for it. Why feel ashamed for something that gave you a successful life. You didn’t stop until recently according to some so why feel bad about it? Because it got put out there after as you was doing this show but you didn’t have a problem before making money. I think that’s what people have a problem with which are the lies.